[July 2019] Do you like the CP3 for Westbrook trade?

Can someone explain the pick swap?

 

The Rockets know that their window to win with a Harden is now down to the next 2-3 years.

Chris Paul while still good and should transition well into his late 30’s, given his age and injury history, just didn’t match with the window as the 2nd star. Add that he is getting paid like a 1st/2nd option, and I think the Rockets knew he wouldn’t cut it in Harden’s window. In a perfect world, he would be a great 3rd star.

Missing out on Jimmy Butler, who would have then become the 2nd star to Harden, sealed Chris Paul’s fate, I think. WB becoming suddenly available lined up just right for a deal to be made.

Westbrook definitely matches with Harden’s window. He may still be a shot chucker and do some low BBIQ things on the court and not as great as a fit to Harden on paper, but the fit as a 2nd star to Harden was better than CP3.

I think Harden knowing that CP3 was going to miss 15-20 games a season, soured their relationship a bit. Nothing personal and I bet they are still good friends but it’s must be frustrating to wonder if the guy that’s supposed to be your #2 is even going to suit up from game to game and then wonder how well he’s going to play if he does.

That obviously put a lot of pressure on Harden this past season to basically carry the Rockets when CP3 was out and the Rockets were struggling. And it’s hard to go back and forth between one-man Harden Show to a more team oriented play when CP3 could play. And I think that caused Harden to remain in his one-man attack even when CP3 was able to play and played well since he didn’t completely trust it to continue game to game.

I think Harden trusts Russ to carry his load more than he does a clearly aging CP3. And I think that’s what it really came down to.

On Russ, many will question his fit next to Harden but I see possibilities where this pairing could work. Both would have to sacrifice more than they have before as superstar players but given that both players wanted to reunite, there should be some faith that they know and are willing to change.

Russ should flourish on this team, especially when Harden sits. He finally has shooting around him that OKC failed to surround him with in the past. I’m looking forward to the Rockets getting more fast break opportunities.

When Harden and Russ play together, both need to be moving or cutting to the whole when the other is controlling the ball. It’s up to MDA to stress that to them and for them to do it.

Overall, the Rockets still have moves to make to shore up the holes but I think this team raises the ceiling for the Rockets while keeping that window to win with Harden open pretty firmly, barring big injury, for the next 2-3 years. We probably have a lower floor if this pairing ends up as bad as it could get but I have faith that Harden and Russ will figure it out.

 

It allows the Thunder to choose whether to swap picks with Houston for the better pick if they finish ahead of the Rockets. The 2021 pick swap likely won’t occur because the Rockets should have a better record than the Thunder at that point.

 

Trade is easily worth it. Gonna miss CP and what could've been but it had to be done.

I couldn't care less about some 2024, 2026 picks and the pick swaps honestly. If you rather have that then you truly don't care about wasting Harden's prime years. The Rockets have had like two sub .500 seasons in like the past two decades so those picks might not even really be high lotto picks. Yeah it might suck but you go all in this arms race. Harden's earned every right to get the guys he wants and have Morey surround him with the help he deserves. If it doesn't work, so what. At least you did right by your guy and it's not like the other option was gonna win you anything anyways. Yes, there are obvious flaws and cons with the move but there are also a ton of positives.

Raise your ceiling, increase your variance, get the better and younger player. It'll be fun. Enjoy the ride and hope RW/JH and the coaching staff come up with something. Moves still to be made.

 

This is what it is to me. As if when Harden said he knew what we needed after losing game 7 he was talking about killer instinct. Westbrook plays with maximum intensity. We're never going to complain he didn't play hard enough.

 

Whatever players this board hate, will become a rockets in the future.
First, Chris Paul
Now. Russell Westbrook.

I think D'Antoni's job just get easier. Just sit back relax and watch Harden and Westbrook take turn to ISO on the offense. No coaching, drawing needed.

 

I think Harden and WB both know that they only have a few years left on their prime. What better way to spend it than being together again, being close buddies and childhood friends and all.

 

We are swapping an overpaid star for another overpaid star. But CP3, at his best, is still more of a winning player than WB. He plays defense and does the little things that contribute to winning. We were missing an Ariza like wing last year, and that should've been our focus this off-season. Instead, we make this lateral move that might make us worse in the short term, and we are losing picks in the process ,hurting our future.

I hope I am proven wrong, but I just don't like the looks of this at this time.

 

I've had hopeful and angry reactions to trades before, but This is the first time my initial reaction was terror, ha.

Holy **** they went and did it. This is f***king crazy.

Voted yes.

 

The “we hated Paul and ended up loving him” angle just doesn’t work for me.

I disliked the guy but absolutely respected and recognized how unbelievably good he was.

Westbrook, to me at least, has felt like one of the most overrated players of this decade.

 

I like the risk we've taken, even if it doesn't pan out.

 

The Beard and the Ninja Turtle.

Let's get Real.

 

Vegas likes the move that we moved up few spots on the betting odds

 

I think nobody can doubt that at this point in their careers Russ is better than cp3 by a mile.
I still don't like the trade coz I can't see the fit. Russ can't shoot, his defense is bad and he cares too much about his stats. On top of that between him and harden they average like 11 TO a game. That's suicidal.
I do like his play making and finishing at the rim, but that will probably be gone in a couple of seasons at most. He is over 30 and had 3 knee surgery's.
I hope I'm wrong, but I thought the rockets actually had a better thing with cp3 running the second unit maybe and even as a shooter, he is better than Russ.
Time will tell I guess...

 

As I said before the ceiling is still WCF and Finals but the bottom side is now 15th or 18th pick in the Draft.

Inconsistencies and Up and Downs, we know them well.

If Russ can shoot 45%FG and 35% from 3 that is a huge improvement.

 

**** CP3

 

It's hard to see how Westbrook fits the Rockets' system. He is younger, and at least they unloaded Paul's contract in the trade. Management must have really believed Paul's decline is real and not just a one-year aberration. I feel like there were other possible moves, especially if you're giving up first-round picks, that would have made more sense. But they probably would have meant keeping Paul and watching him age into mediocrity. I'm one of those who thinks other teams have gotten a lot better and we would have not really been a championship competitor if we had stood pat. It will be exciting to see, at least.

 

Hater

 

That's mitigated somewhat by the fact that the two of them also average 17.6 boards, 18.2 assists, and 3.9 steals. Not to mention 59 points.

 

More iso, and now we will suffer with Westbrook's boneheaded heroball. U haters were sick of harden carrying, waiting until u see inefficient heroball from westbrook. The amount of bricks hes gonna put up will make you sad. I do hope the trade ends up benefiting us but I'm not that optimistic.